Mind Games
by suburbantimewaster
Summary: AU For Lt. Candy Marino, life is just a series of distractions. The more challenging, the better. When she comes to Deep Space Nine, it not only has plenty of distractions but comes with a complicated puzzle in the form of Elim Garak. Can she play his game, or will he be the one puzzle she could never solve?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Here's my second Sue story that won't leave my brain. If you recognize it from any Star Trek series, I don't own it. Yes, my OC is a ripoff of Sherlock from the BBC series but I'll try to separate the two as much as possible. Also, this is not going to be a my OC solves everything two minutes after the episode begins and everyone praises her for it. Yes, I gave Candy deduction powers but that doesn't mean she's going to solve everything in the blink of an eye. I also put any scenes and lines that came from the show in _italics. _Everything in normal font belongs to me.

Lt. Candy Marino arrived on Deep Space Nine through the circular door carrying luggage with a cat carrier and ready to head to the habitat ring. As soon as Candy set foot on the station, she noticed it had a unique architecture with circular hallways, little to no lighting and beams all over the place with the second floor of the Promenade directly above. If the little bit of lighting didn't indicate that it was a Cardassian station, the intense heat did the job perfectly, something her cat was whining about.

"Look, Shere Khan, our new home," Candy said, keeping a sweet tone while talking to her orange tabby. "Not exactly welcoming for cats, or anything with fur."

Candy's porcelain round face glistened with sweat and it made her chestnut brown hair tied into a high ponytail damp. Her golden Starfleet uniform was definitely not helping matters. Still, this was her new assignment and she was ready to unpack. Looking around at the cracked glass and piles of rubble on the floor, it definitely wasn't the most glamorous of assignments. Not many officers would be proud to say that they were assigned to a run-down station in the middle of nowhere that was the center of a 50-year-old conflict between two races. Then again, Candy wasn't most officers. On the way to the habitat ring, she ran into her assigned roommate and childhood friend, Christopher Patel.

"Hey, Chris," Candy said with a smile. "Long time no see."

"Candy?!" Chris said, brimming with ecstasy as he turned his head in her direction. "I can't believe it's you! Do you still go by Candy?!"

"Yeah, do you still go by Chris?" Candy asked, still smiling.

Chris dropped his luggage and hugged Candy in a tight embrace. Candy froze and then slowly dropped her own luggage, keeping her grip on the cat carrier and hugging Chris back with one hand. Afterwards, immediately drawing back.

"Yeah, Chris, really not a touchy feely kind of girl," Candy said, a little flustered. "Just so you know, whoever you were crying over, he's not worth it."

"What are you talking about?" Chris asked, confused.

"I'm talking about your breakup," Candy said, absentmindedly picking up her luggage.

"How did you know about that?" Chris said while standing in the middle of the hallway, stupefied.

"Simple, there was tinge of red in your eyes and you were way too happy to see me," Candy explained. "Are you going to pick up your bags? You look stupid standing there out in the hallway."

"You've certainly changed," Chris muttered under his breath as he did as Candy asked. "My boyfriend and I were getting different assignments and we thought we'd just break up rather than trying to keep it long distance. It's hard getting over a relationship."

"That's why I don't have them," Candy said with a smug smile as they started walking through the hallway.

It didn't surprise Candy that Chris had a boyfriend before coming here. With Chris's slicked back leather black hair, toffee boyish oval shaped face and chocolate brown eyes topped with a tight blue uniform that showed a little of his athletic build, Chris would be considered attractive but Candy didn't think of him that way. She supposed it was because they've known each other since preschool.

"So, I heard you were assigned to the U.S.S. Enterprise," Chris asked, clearly desperate for a change of subject. "What was that like?"

"In a word, awful," Candy said as they were walking to their quarters.

Chris looked at Candy like she confessed to being on drugs.

"You had an assignment on the Federation flagship and you thought it was awful?" Chris asked.

Candy gave an exasperated sigh.

"It was boring," Candy explained on the walk. "Everyone was all sunshine and roses with very few exceptions. You always knew who the good guys and the bad guys were. All they did for fun was play poker and, without money, there's nothing fun about the game. The only truly exciting thing that happened was that you never knew when the holodecks were going to crap out on you."

"You're calling holodeck malfunctions exciting?" Chris asked in the same disbelieving tone as before.

"Yeah, it was the one thing about the ship that was completely unexpected, except for Q of course," Candy said with a smile on her face.

"Q?" Chris said, looking at Candy like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"The phenomenally cosmic being who shows up when you least expect it," Candy said, describing him as if he was a fond childhood memory. "Says he's up to one thing but really be up to another."

"Don't tell me you actually like that guy?" Chris said, looking at Candy as if she'd gone insane.

"I wouldn't say that I like him. Just that he makes things more interesting," Candy explained. "Other than that, it was the same old simplistic crap over and over again. Not really a place for a girl like me."

"Did you at least make an effort to fit in?" Chris said, looking at the pendant made from a 20th century American coin Candy wore around her neck. "I mean, your necklace is against uniform code."

Candy rolled her eyes.

"You sound like Riker," Candy remarked. "Always talking about how I need an attitude adjustment and conform to regulations. So I tell him that, if Troi can wear a low-cut body hugger and Worf can wear a bandalier, I'm wearing my damn pendant."

"You said that to him?" Chris asked in disbelief as the door to their quarters slid open.

"Just telling it like it is,"

"Well, here we are."

Their quarters were simple with a gray couch, brown walls and three adjoining bedrooms. The first bedroom they looked in was a simple mattress on the floor with a few metal cabinets filled with datapads and a few light spots on the walls. The second room had a Bajoran mattress with pictures of Bajoran artwork and decorated with various candles. The third room was empty save for a few stains of blood and a pole built into the wall.

"What kind of person was this guy?" Chris asked.

"I can tell you that he brought Bajoran women to his room, gave them a false sense of security and then tortured them for both pleasure and research purposes. He also enjoys Cardassian artwork, Cardassian classical music and writes in his spare time," Candy explained proudly as she set the pet carrier down and let Shere Khan out of his cage.

"How did you know all that?!" Chris asked, astonished.

"Simple, the silhouettes on the wall indicate old fashioned torture devices that were hung on the pole," Candy began and then moved to the room with Bajoran decorations as Chris followed. "He went to all the trouble of decorating it for Bajoran visitors so they'd feel safe. When you trust someone, you spill your deepest darkest secrets to them. Since all the Bajoran stuff is still here, he clearly didn't care for it." Then Candy moved to the room formerly occupied by the Cardassian with Chris following her. "Judging by the silhouettes on the wall, he made sure to take all his Cardassian artwork with him and he left behind a manuscript, showing that he was in a hurry, and torturers love classical music. Don't know why."

Candy had the computer play a selection from the files, filling the room with music that always sounded like it should be played in a fantasy holodeck program and then set her bags on the floor.

"This room's mine," Candy declared proudly.

"Sure you don't want to ask Commander Sisko for a room change?" Chris asked warily.

Candy scoffed.

"You want to find a room on this station where someone hasn't been murdered?" Candy asked sarcastically, putting her right hand on her hip. "Good luck."

Then Candy picked up the manuscript and leafed through it.

"Looks like he chronicled each and every one of his victims," Candy said smiling. "A Cardassian Marquis de Sade, who knew?"

"Apparently, you did," Chris said confused.

"I wouldn't have known before walking in the room," Candy said, putting the manuscript on the nightstand and making a mental note to read it later.

"Okay, are you genetically enhanced?" Chris asked.

"Yes, Chris, I went through illegal genetic experiments and show off at every opportunity so I can get myself kicked out of Starfleet," Candy said rolling her eyes. "Seriously, have you blocked out all of our childhood."

"Oh, right," Chris said, the guilt seeping from his voice.

"As for our living arrangements, you take the room Bajoran women used to occupy and I'll turn the torture room into a study," she told Chris as she took her music collection out of one of her bags and added it to the computer's memory banks.

"You do what you want, I'm not going anywhere near a former torture room," Chris said, leaving Candy's room as the doors shut behind him.

"Computer, shuffle my playlist," Candy ordered.

The first song the computer played was Journey's Don't Stop Believing. Candy sang along as she unpacked, just stacking her stuff anywhere and dancing to the song. It would be a couple of hours before her shift started, so Candy ordered the computer to let her know when she should report to the security chief.

The heat wore Candy out much sooner than usual, so she laid down on the couch and read the manuscript with a cup of raktijino on the end table as Shere Khan slept on her stomach. She was going to read on the mattress, but it felt like laying on a pile of rocks. Not all that surprising, considering it was made on Cardassia. Candy would have to get a new bunk if she wanted to get any sleep on this station, since drinking until she passed out was no longer an option. She found herself lost in the manuscript until a beep pulled her back to reality.

"This always happens when you get to the good part," Candy said as she put it down.

Candy finished her raktijino, feeling the caffeine's weak stimulation as the lukewarm drink filled her empty stomach. She petted Shere Khan and slowly got up, knowing Shere Khan would take the hint and hop off her stomach, even if he would be upset about it.

"Sorry, little boy," Candy said in a sweet tone reserved only for him. "Your mama's got to get to work."

She walked with Chris in the hallway, him on his way to the infirmary and Candy on her way to the security office.

"I have to say, our former occupant was a terrific writer!" Candy exclaimed. "He doesn't just write about the torture, he wrote about the lives his victims led before they met him! The guy talks about Cardassian superiority and values a little too much for my liking but, other than that, it was an interesting psychological study."

"Psychological study or not, you do get that these people were actually tortured?" Chris asked, looking at Candy like she's gone insane.

"So were the people Marquis De Sade tortured, and people still read his work," Candy pointed out.

"Who's Marquis De Sade?" Chris asked.

"An 18th century French aristocrat who believed himself superior to the common people and was into some _really_ twisted things," Candy explained, putting her right hand out when she said really.

"That's different," Chris explained. "Marquis De Sade died centuries ago."

"So, because Marquis De Sade's victims were centuries before our time, it's okay to read his writings and find them intriguing," Candy said, putting her right hand on her hip. "Since these victims died recently, I'm not allowed to be intrigued by his writings."

"It's just... not right," Chris said weakly.

Eventually, they went their separate ways. Candy arrived at the security chief's office, a place decorated with brown walls save for green lights and a couple of blue computers in the wall. In the middle of the room was a desk with a computer built right into to it along with two chairs, one on the inside of the desk and one on the outside, and a bucket resting in the corner. A man with unusually sunken eyes, solid ears with only one hole in each, incredibly light hair that was brushed back and dressed in a dark brown uniform with light brown sleeves stood in the office with his arms folded and stared at Candy like he was a bird of prey studying a field mouse for any sign of weakness.

"You must be Constable Odo," Candy concluded. "I'm Lt. Candy Marino from the Enterprise-D and I work in your field."

"I'm chief of security," Odo said matter of factly. "And your necklace is against uniform code."

"Believe me, you're not the first person to tell me so," Candy said as she leaned back on the desk and rested her hands on it. "And I'll tell you the same thing I told them. The only way you're getting this necklace off of me is over my dead body."

"Hands off the desk," Odo ordered with a warning glare.

"Okay, didn't realize touching the desk was a criminal offense," she said sarcastically while removing her hands from it. "And I thought Worf was a hardass."

"Do you serve a purpose or are you just here to irritate me?" Odo asked annoyed.

"Trust me, I serve a purpose," Candy said as she went to the replicator and ordered another raktijino. "Besides, if I wanted to irritate you, I'd move your desk an inch."

Odo's eyes narrowed and his lips pressed into a thin line, if it was possible for them to get any thinner.

"Don't you dare," Odo said in a tone hinting that he would push her out of the airlock if she tried. "And no food or drink in the office."

"Then why have a replicator?" Candy asked taking her drink from it.

"It was built there when I got the job," Odo told her, then noticed her phaser. "I also don't allow weapons on the Promenade."

"Why? Need to keep your grip on Deep Space Nine air tight so you can easily crush a rebellion?" Candy said, taking a sip from her raktajino.

"If there is a _rebellion_ on Deep Space Nine, you'll be its ring leader," Odo said sardonically.

"Actually, I'm more of a loner than a team player," Candy said, taking a seat in the chair behind the desk. "Or a team leader."

"Then why did you join Starfleet?" Odo asked.

"I thought Starfleet could benefit from my talents," Candy said proudly, setting her cup on the desk. "And now, so can you."

Odo scoffed. "Apparently, one of the requirements for serving in Starfleet is having delusions of grandeur."

Candy stood up right, glaring at Odo. "What do you mean 'delusions of grandeur?'"

"It's simple, my job, as well as the job of any security officer, is to maintain order," he said, like he was explaining this to a small child. "From what I know about you so far, all someone like you could do is spread chaos."

"I know your whole life story just by looking around your office," Candy said, determined to prove herself. "I can tell that, judging by the office's lining and the fact that there are no new dust marks, you're obsessed with order to the point where you keep everything in the exact same place at all times," Candy put her feet up on the desk, leaned back in the chair and put her hands behind her head. "I also know that you used to work for the Cardassians because you feel right at home with this job. I can tell you that they never trusted you and you formed a relationship with the Bajorans, because they have no quarrel with you keeping your job. I can also tell you that you're the only one of your kind here because I know every Alpha Quadrant species and I've never seen anything like you until today. As for the bucket—"

"Enough," Odo told her, coming off as irritated and impressed at the same time. "And get your feet off of my desk."

_Before Candy could respond, they received a call from a Bajoran woman with crimson red hair._

_"Yes, Major?" Odo answered._

_"Odo, are you reading something at A14?" the Major asked._

_"My security array has been down for two hours, I'll meet you there," Odo answered and then shut off the viewer, turning to Candy. "Come with me."_

_Candy followed Odo to the Promenade to see a young Ferengi boy with an adult B'kaazi man stealing from the shelves._

_"All right, just stand where you are!" Odo ordered._

_The Bajoran Major who called them earlier arrived along with the dark skin man in a red Starfleet uniform and three pips on his collar who Candy assumed was Commander Benjamin Sisko._

_"Hold it!" the Major ordered._

_The B'kaazi threw his mace at Odo, who's head turned to liquid the minute the weapon made contact and passed right through._ Candy grabbed the arm of the retreating Ferengi boy, holding her grip but being careful not to hurt him.

"A kid?" Candy said disbelievingly. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm not a kid, _female_," the boy practically hissed, saying female as if it was a derogatory term.

"Could've fooled me," Candy said, tightening her grip on his arm.

_Meanwhile, Odo chased the B'kaazi down and held him up against the wall. Sisko fired a phaser at the wall to get Odo and the B'kaazi's attention._

_"That's enough!" Sisko barked._

_Odo turned to face him. "Who the hell are you?" Odo demanded._

_"Odo, this is our new Starfleet commander," the Major explained._

"So who does that make you?" Candy asked, checking out the Major in front of her.

She was definitely a gorgeous site, with short flaming red hair on top of a face with a peach complexion. The pink uniform wasn't exactly a body hugger but, even with very little to show, Candy could tell that the Major was well-endowed in all the right places, something Candy wasn't fortunate in, leaving her feeling a mixture of attraction and jealousy.

"Major Kira Nerys, first officer of Deep Space Nine."

_Odo let go of the B'kaazi and approached Sisko._

_"I don't allow weapons on the Promenade, that includes phasers," Odo said, glaring at the phaser Sisko was holding, which he immediately put away._

_"Nog, what's going on?" a male voice said to the side of them._

_Candy turned around to see an adult male Ferengi standing in the hallway._

_"The boy's in a lot of trouble," Odo explained to the Ferengi as he grabbed the boy called Nog's other arm, who looked frightened._

_The Ferengi kept his attention on Sisko. "Commander, my name is Quark, I used to run the local gambling establishment," Quark explained as he turned his attention to Nog. "This is my brother's boy." Quark hissed at Nog who hissed back and then turned his attention back to Sisko. "Surely you can see that he only has a peripheral involvement in all this."_

"If, by peripheral, you mean that you hired your nephew to steal the last of the ore samples so you can sell them when you leave the station then, yes, his involvement was very 'peripheral,'" Candy explained.

Quark nervously laughed. "I'm sorry Miss..."

"Lt. Candy Marino, number two security officer on Deep Space 9."

"Lieutenant, you have quite an imagination but I assure you that it was nothing of the sort," Quark explained.

"Really?" Candy replied doubtfully, putting a finger on her chin. "You weren't the least bit shocked when you came in here and you seemed far more disappointed that Nog failed than you were that he was stealing. I can also tell you that Commander Sisko has second thoughts about running this station, he's a divorcee and he enjoys cooking. Major Kira is a former resistance fighter who despises the Federation's presence and-,"

"That's enough!" Major Kira yelled, cutting Candy off.

Candy was going to respond until she caught a tall and stocky Cardassian watching her out of the corner of her emerald green eyes. He gave her a sly smile, his ice blue eyes daring her to figure him out and, judging from his clothes, he was most definitely a civilian. Anything else about this man was a mystery to Candy.

"Lieutenant Marino!" Odo's harsh voice said, interrupting her thoughts.

"What?" Candy asked, turning her attention back to Odo.

"You heard Commander Sisko, we're taking Nog to a holding cell," Odo ordered her.

"Right," Candy said, snapping back to reality.

As Candy left the Promenade with Odo keeping her hold on Nog, she turned to the direction of the Cardassian to see that he was gone.

A/N: Just so you know, the music Candy's playing that she calls Cardassian classical is Music for 18 Musicians by Steve Reich. I googled Cardassian music and people were speculating what it would sound like. One person suggested this for Cardassian classical and it's actually quite good. I sometimes find myself meditating to it. Also, the reason Candy thought it sounded like holosuite background music is because, to me, the music sounds similar to what you hear in video games, particularly the first set of .Hack games. Since the holodeck and holosuites are the 24th Century equivalent of video gaming, that's what Candy's reminded of.

So, what do you think? Yes, I'm well aware that Sisko's not divorced but Candy's deductions aren't going to be 100% all the time. Wait until you see what she thought the bucket was for. I have to say, describing the station is an absolute nightmare. I just realized that I don't know where the rooms are located exactly and I don't know any of the science. If anyone wants to help me out with research, PM me a list. Oh, and I like Odo and Nog but the former's personality would clash with Candy's and Nog was misogynistic when he was first introduced. Who my OCs get along with is not based on what characters I like but on what characters I feel would clash with my OCs. Anyway, read and review and I can take constructive criticism.


	2. Chapter 2

Important: I edited the first chapter. Please go back and read that before you read this one.

A/N: I'd like to thank Prizm for his or her review. I'd also like to thank SupremeChaos918 on deviantart for doing a dollmaker picture of Candy. As well as nightwing1975 on deviantart for adding Candy to his collection of toons and lilrebelart from deviantart for drawing Candy.

Just so you know, this is a work in progress. I do intend to edit this chapter and clean it up. As for the cover, I can't draw so I had to use a dollmaker. That's why it's inaccurate on so many details. Too bad there's no Star Trek dollmaker game, huh?

If you recognize it from the Star Trek Community, I don't own it.

* * *

"Great my first case, and it's a misbehaving kid," Candy said, folding her arms under her small yet firm breasts and leaning against the wall of Odo's office.

"On Deep Space Nine, you don't have the luxury of picking your cases," Odo told her gruffly, looking through his computer. "And get off the wall, you'll leave a crease in it."

"Sorry," Candy said, standing up straight and putting her arms to her side. "Though, I have to admit, what I saw was rather shocking. Even with my talents, I would've never guessed that you were a shapeshifter."

Odo's eyes narrowed. "Is that a problem?"

"No, I just realized that I was wrong about the bucket," Candy said, looking into Odo's eyes sympathetically.

Odo scoffed. "All right, what did you think the bucket was for?"

"Yeah, I really don't think you want to hear that," Candy said humorously then said seriously. "Trust me."

"Well," Odo told her as if he were interrogating a suspect. "What do you think the bucket's for now?"

"You use it to return to your true form," Candy explained, being sure to keep her voice at a sympathetic tone. "I figured that out because you always maintain a great posture, something impossible for even the most fit of humanoids, and your head turned into liquid when that weapon touched you. Plus, you always look like you're straining yourself, so this isn't your true form. It's what you choose to be around us and I imagine that you can't keep it up all day. That must be where the bucket comes in."

"Does that bother you?" Odo asked, crossing his arms over his chest and keeping his eyes narrowed with his expression hard.

"No, it just makes me a little nervous," Candy told him honestly.

"Why?" Odo said suspiciously. "Is it because I'm a shapeshifter?"

"No, not because of that," Candy answered as if Odo asked her whether she'd have a problem working with a Vulcan. "It's just that I never worked with a superhero before, except for Data, but he and I didn't work in the same department."

"A superhero?" Odo asked her.

"Where I come from, we have these ancient tales about superheroes that have these unbelievable abilities and use them in the pursuit of justice," Candy explained, running a finger through her loose hair strands.

"This Data," Odo said curiously. "Was he another 'superhero?'"

"Well, Data was the only android in existence," Candy explained with a smile. "The guy could lift a 50 pound anvil without breaking a sweat, calculate Pie to the last numeric, read the thickest book you could give him in literally five seconds and all he ever wants is to be human."

"At least he knows who he is," Odo remarked.

"Yeah, and so do you," Candy said, gazing out the window. "You just don't know what you are."

"There's a difference?" Odo asked.

"Believe it or not, there's a huge one," Candy told him then relaxed her tone. "Look, I'm sorry about how I came off earlier. I'm not very good at first impressions."

Odo's eyes softened but he still kept his hard expression and scoffed. "That much was obvious."

"You're very blunt, I like that in an agent of justice," Candy remarked with a laugh. "I also like that you're not letting your guard down."

"Really?" Odo said suspiciously.

"Yeah, I can see why the Cardassians hired you, and why the Bajorans keep you," Candy praised, putting her hands behind her back. "I also imagine that keeping order on this station must be close to impossible, even for a superhero like yourself."

"I thought you didn't care about order," Odo said, eyeing Candy skeptically.

"I don't," Candy said, shrugging her shoulders. "But I know you do."

Odo's expression softened a bit, then he turned back to the computer.

"Looking around, I see you have quite a lot to deal with in chaos," Candy said contemplatively as she walked around the room. "I mean, between that Ferengi –"

"Quark," Odo said gruffly.

"And more than half the people on this station trying to get over a 50 year Occupation, not to mention that Cardassian I saw earlier," Candy said, making sure to sound as innocent as possible.

"You mean Garak," Odo said gruffly, then turned his head up. "Wait a minute, how do you know about Garak?"

"Oh, is that his name?" Candy asked innocently.

"Yes," Odo said, looking Candy in the eye. "He's the station's tailor."

"Funny that he chooses a Bajoran space station to conduct his business," Candy pointed out, crossing her arms under her breasts. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not really into racial profiling but, you have to admit, having one single Cardassian on a Bajoran space station is a serious red alert."

"I agree," Odo said, turning back to his computer. "Now that Quark's leaving the station, I might have more time to investigate Garak."

"Hate to break it to you, but I don't think Quark's leaving the station," Candy said.

"What?" Odo asked, snapping his head in Candy's direction.

"I said that I –"

"I know what you said," Odo said, matter-of-factly. "I just want to know why."

"Quark said he runs the local gambling establishment, right?" Candy said in deep contemplation.

"You mean he **used** to run the local gambling establishment," Odo corrected.

"Which is why I don't think Commander Sisko will let him go that easily," Candy said confidently.

Right on cue, the door to Odo's office chimed.

"Speak of the devil," Candy said, turning to the door.

"The what?" Odo asked.

Candy ignored him and opened the door to be greeted by Sisko and Quark.

"I thought you were getting ready to leave," Odo snidely told Quark.

"We were just discussing that right now," Sisko said in a matter of fact tone.

"Then you don't need me for this," Candy said, having a slightly boastful tone directed at Odo as she walked to the side entrance.

Candy left the room and walked far away enough from the security office to see what was going on inside and not draw any suspicion. She got her PADD out and messed around on it to maintain the illusion while keeping her eye on the window. So far, all she could see were Odo and Quark sitting on opposite sides of the lone desk, keeping a wary eye on each other and exchanging barbs. Even an idiot could tell that there was no love between those two. Meanwhile, Sisko held up his hands and kept a pleasant yet commanding tone in his walk, like a diplomat trying to bring peace to two warring nations. Even though Candy could see their lips moving, not a sound escaped from the office. It was times like these that Candy wished she could read lips, though she did have a talent for picking up on body language.

"You must be new to this station," a smooth and sophisticated voice asked behind her.

Candy turned around to see the same Cardassian from the Promenade standing behind her.

"Allow me to introduce myself, Miss..." the Cardassian began.

"Lieutenant actually," Candy said, looking away from her PADD and into the Cardassian's eyes. "Lt. Candy Marino." Candy put her PADD away and fiddled with her pendant. "I was just assigned here recently, Mr..."

"Just Garak," the Cardassian told her with a sly smile. "Plain, simple, Garak."

Candy wanted to laugh. Plain and simple? If this was true, Candy could get a better read on him. Right now, all she could tell was that the clothes Garak wore made him a civilian.

"Is that your first name or your last name?" Candy asked, putting her hands behind her back as if she were a typical no nonsense Starfleet officer.

"Does it really matter, my dear?" Garak said, holding up his hand for Candy to shake which she took.

"Just want to know if we're on a first or last name basis," Candy told him, shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't really see why we should bother with an insignificant detail like that, Lieutenant," Garak offered with a comforting smile, at least Candy thought that was what he was going for. She just wasn't sure if it was the type regular people give when they want to assure someone that they mean no harm or one that The Joker gives to Batman when the Dark Knight has him cornered but the Clown Prince of Crime still has one ace up his sleeve.

"All right, Garak," Candy said, keeping her Starfleet officer demeanor with an innocent smile. "So, what's your story?"

"I'm afraid you might find my life incredibly dull," Garak said with a smile that was either supposed to be reassuring or taunting.

"Considering that you're the only Cardassian I've met on a Bajoran space station, I don't think that's possible," Candy pointed out.

"If you must know, Cardassia exiled me for tax evasion," Garak told her in a bitter tone. "I lied to the authorities about the success of my Tailor shop."

"Your government exiled you to a Bajoran space station for tax evasion?" Candy said, feigning horror. "That's awful!"

**An awful lie, **Candy thought. **You're as much of a tailor as Captain Picard is a kindergarten teacher.**

Garak's only response was an amused smile, whether it was at her supposed naivety or him saying that he saw right through Candy's act, she couldn't tell.

"I suppose a member of the Federation would think that way," Garak told her, still keeping his amused tone.

**Come on, you saw me with Quark on the Promenade, **Candy thought, feigning a smile even though she felt her true self inside clawing to get out. **You've got to be thinking I'm full of shit right now.**

"I guess an easy life does tend to make someone a little naive," Candy said, satisfying her true self while keeping her false persona. "So, you're a tailor?"

"Why yes, Lieutenant," Garak said to her enthusiastically with Candy again not knowing what the tone was for. "In fact, I plan to set up a simple tailor shop in the Promenade."

"I don't know if I'd call tailoring simple," Candy said, flipping her ponytail. "It requires artistic talent, not to mention knowing how to use the tools right."

"That's quite an interesting perspective," Garak noted.

"And one I know from experience," Candy said with a smile. "Believe me when I say that I have no talent for sewing."

"Then where is it that your talents lie?" Garak asked her.

**Seriously, you're asking me this? **Candy thought. **Did you block me out of your mind or are you trying to see how long it will take me to crack?**

"What do you mean?" Candy asked as she folded her arms under her chest.

"Exactly as I said it, my dear," Garak said with that same smile, the very one he used on the Promenade. "I simply wish to know more about you."

"All right," Candy said, rubbing her pendant between her fingers. "I'm an Italian-American from Red Bank, New Jersey, as you can tell from my accent. I'm a Starfleet officer in security, so I'm a competent fighter. I used to work on the Enterprise until they transferred me here, I love to sing and dance and I obsess over fictional worlds, currently Game of Thrones."

"Italian-American?" Garak asked.

"It means that I was born in America yet my ancestors are from Italy," Candy explained proudly. "My dad's family's from Bologna and my mom's family's from Sicily." Candy laughed nervously. "I'm sorry, this all must sound like gibberish to you."

"Only some of it, my dear," Garak told her with that same smile that Candy admitted in her head to be a little creepy. "That's a lovely necklace you're wearing."

"Thank you," Candy said, grasping her pendant. "It's actually a pendant made from a 20th Century quarter. Old Earth currency that we never use anymore."

"Starfleet uniform policy must be very lenient to allow you to wear that," Garak observed.

"Actually, it's not," Candy said, turning to look into the security office to see Sisko making his case, Quark looking distressed and Odo looking quite pleased. "I just can't bear to part with it."

"It must be very important to you if—" Garak said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" she screamed and violently pushed Garak away from her, turning to face him.

For a moment, Candy could've sworn Garak lost his composed expression but he quickly regained it.

"Guess the charade's over," Candy said, giving him a sly smile and feeling a sense of relief. "Gotta admit, you're good."

"You put up quite a compelling performance yourself," Garak told her admirably.

"So, who are you really?" Candy asked him.

"Just a simple tailor, my dear," Garak told her with a smile, the same one from the Promenade that dared Candy to figure him out. "I'm sure you already _deduced _that by now."

Candy kept her positive demeanor despite clenching her fists. Luckily, Sisko walked out right at that moment.

"The Constable would like to speak to you," Sisko told her.

Candy entered the security office to see Odo still on his desk.

"So, I take it Quark's staying?" Candy asked Odo.

"Quark had no choice," Odo explained smugly. "Commander Sisko threatened to arrest Nog permanently if he didn't stay."

"I'm not surprised," Candy said, folding her arms under her chest. "The Promenade's necessary for keeping the station running. So, Commander Sisko used Nog as a bargaining chip." Then she looked out the security door to see Garak talking to Commander Sisko, though what it was about was anyone's guess. "So I guess Quark will still take all of your attention."

Odo nodded, turning back to the monitor.

"Which means you won't have time to investigate Garak," Candy stated nonchalantly.

"I've made time for more than one case before," Odo told her then looked her in the eye. "But sometimes it's better to delegate."

"Couldn't agree more," Candy said, feigning ignorance. "So, who is it you'll be assigning to investigate Garak?"

"Don't you already know?" Odo asked her.

"I want to hear you say it," Candy told Odo, turning to face him.

"You."

* * *

A/N: I originally wanted to end this on Candy giving a satisfied smirk but I thought this would be better. Next chapter, there will be a conversation between Sisko and Garak (though I don't know from who's point of view), and possibly a section that tells us what Chris is up to. I'm going to try not to make everything behind the scenes be about Candy because, let's face it, no one likes a black hole sue but I'm not making any promises. So far, I seem to have a grasp on the Deep Space 9 characters, though I'm worried that I screwed up with Garak. Also, I wasn't sure how to illustrate this in writing but Candy has a thick New Jersey accent. I learned a long time ago to never write out accents unless it's a minor character.

Just so you know, I'm aware of Ziyal but she can be a short term love interest made to develop the main couple, like Shakaar was for Odo and Kira. As for Garak and Bashir fans, I do tend to throw some hints around about their attraction like they do on Sherlock BBC with Sherlock and John. Believe it or not, I also ship them and so will Candy. Andrew Robinson wanted to make Garak pansexual but couldn't because Paramount chickened out. Since I don't have any major companies breathing down my neck, I decided to go that extra mile. Partly to show sexual freedom in Star Trek, partly for my own perverted brain.

Also, if you couldn't tell what the conversation between Candy and Garak was about, they were both faking ignorance and seeing how long the other could keep up the charade. Again, I think I really screwed up with Garak and I'm a little afraid of posting this because, last time I posted something that was a work in progress it ended up being a complete disaster that I'd rather not go into. So, hopefully, things will turn out better but I'd still like to see how well this fanfic tracks with people before giving it my all.

Anyway, read and review, constructive criticism appreciated and I really hope you enjoy this enough to encourage me to continue. I should warn you, this story is un-beta'd. I'm also still unsatisfied with this version, so I will be editing it yet again but I want to see if anyone's interested in me continuing this. Let me know in a review.


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